


All I Want for Christmas Is Whisky

by insert_name_here92



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Awkward Romance, Christmas Eve, Drinking, F/M, One Shot, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 07:51:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13095684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insert_name_here92/pseuds/insert_name_here92
Summary: With Futaba out with her boyfriend, Sojiro Sakura plans to spend Christmas Eve alone. That is, until he meets another lonely heart on Christmas Eve.





	All I Want for Christmas Is Whisky

It had been quite some time since he celebrated Christmas Eve proper. The closest he came this year was seeing his daughter, Futaba, go off with her boyfriend to “stuff my face with greasy, unhealthy food,” as she so eloquently put it. He ordinarily would have been worried, but knew he didn’t have to be. He watched her boyfriend for the better part of a year, and never saw anything that could give him pause. And, dammit, Sojiro couldn’t help but like the guy. Despite his best efforts to keep the boy at a distance, Ren Amamiya had charmed his way into both of their lives. He felt safe about letting his daughter go with him in those crowds. If given the choice of having her spend another Christmas alone or to go off with someone she loved, Sojiro would take the latter every time.

The last time he spent Christmas Eve with someone he loved was three years ago, when he stayed over at Wakaba’s place. He volunteered to help her watch Futaba, to ensure that it wouldn’t be an entirely lonely Christmas in the Isshiki household. That night, there were none of the usual Christmas festivities. There was no walk in the park to observe the decorations. No eating of cake or fried chicken. They just drank hot chocolate and watched the fire crackle while old black-and-white movies played on TV. Sojiro had spent many Christmases with many different women. But when Wakaba fell asleep on his shoulder, that was the first Christmas where he felt truly content. As he felt her breathing softly onto him, he felt a closeness to someone that went beyond mere physical attraction.

But even if he did want to feel that closeness again, there was no hope of it happening with someone today. Christmas Eve, like Valentine’s Day, was a day that brought in customers. After all, coffee shops were a staple of dating, and Sojiro was more than happy to take couples’ money. Plus, it afforded him an opportunity to play his old Christmas records (his Johnny Mathis, his Bing Crosby, all the big guns) that Futaba would make fun of him for. “Man, Sojiro,” she would have said. “I knew your tastes were old school, but holy cow!” But with her out indulging herself with Ren, Sojiro was free to subject anyone to his tastes.

And there were certainly many people to subject to his tastes. From the wee hours of the morning when Ren would help him without pay (he had hired more help since the boy stayed there the year previous, but Ren insisted on offering a hand regardless) to the cold night where he was now manning the fort with only a few hands with him, it was packed. This Christmas had brought him some of the most robust clientele he had seen in some time. It was work that left him tired. His muscles ached, his brow was sweaty, and his hands were knotted, but he was happy. Keeping himself busy was the most important thing for him.

It was what came afterwards that made him apprehensive. The silence that followed the closure of the coffee shop. The knowledge that he wouldn’t see Futaba until the morning at the earliest. And the fact that when he stepped back into the house there would be no one to greet him.

Sojiro sighed and made his way to the train station. If he was going to spend Christmas alone, he would spend it alone in style: with a bottle of fine Suntory whisky. He had been so busy taking care of Futaba that he rarely gave himself time to drink anymore. In his youth, he had consumed vodka like it was water, downed sake as if it gave him life, and drank whisky because, well, he liked it. If he no one to celebrate Christmas with, he would celebrate it with himself. Throwing on his scarf and winter coat, he made his way out into the bracing cold. It crunched satisfyingly beneath his boots as he made his way to Yonginjaya Station.

* * *

 The Suntory bottle sat all by its lonesome on the liquor store shelf. He held it in his hands and watched the golden-brown liquid dance in the glass. It was truly a beautiful sight. Through the liquid, he saw her on the other end of the store. There, browsing through the various bottles of sake on display, stood a woman. She looked to be about her early thirties, with rich brown hair, a long denim skirt, and a yellow sweater. Sojiro squinted and could scarcely believe it when he called out to her.

“Miss Kawakami?”

The teacher turned, startled. “I’ll have you know, it’s a holiday, so… oh. It’s only you, Mr. Sakura!” She breathed out a sigh of relief. “For an awful second, I thought you might be one of my students.”

“Well, I looked over one of your students.” She laughed softly and brushed her shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. What brings you here? Are you here to grab something for your lady waiting at home?”

“Er… no. I’m here for myself really.”

“O… oh. Sorry.”

There was an awkward pause. Sojiro glanced at the bottle of sake that Kawakami was holding. “What about you? Who’s that for?”

“Oh! Um… no one, either. I was just… Yes. I was just planning on spending Christmas by myself this year.” The teacher sighed and looked away from Sojiro, gazing back at the rows of sake. “Again, I suppose.”

Sojiro glanced down at the whisky bottle in his hand, then back to the teacher. There was no reason they both had to leave here alone.

“Um, listen…are you planning anything later?”

“I just said that I was planning on drinking alone tonight.”

“Then… would you like to spend Christmas Eve with me?”

Kawakami’s eyebrows raised. “W… with you?!”

Sojiro sighed. “Look, I know I’m not much to look at…”

Kawakami shook her head, waving her hand in front of her face. “No, no, no, it’s not like that! It’s just… this is a bit sudden.” She paused and gave him a quick glance. “And you certainly are something to look at.”

Sojiro gave her his best, most dashing smile, something that caused her to blush. “Oh, forget I said anything! I just, this… I didn’t plan on meeting you here and…”

Sojiro laughed. His rich, warm voice tickled Kawakami’s ears. She scarcely believed it when she felt a blush creep into her cheeks.

“It’s quite all right. If you feel awkward it’s fine. Ren spoke of nothing but high praises for you. I just would like to get to know you better.”

Kawakami smiled weakly. “Teachers always try to make an impact on their students’ lives. But Ren left quite an impact on mine. Even if it was only for a year he lived here, my life is all the better for knowing him.”

Sojiro nodded. “Mine too.” He sighed and glanced down to his Suntory bottle. “Well, it was lovely to meet you outside of school. Perhaps we could get together some time.”

“Um… wait. What you said earlier… about spending Christmas together…”

“Yes?”

“I… I would actually like that quite a bit. Yes.”

Sojiro’s eyes widened. “W… well, I don’t live too far from here. If you would like to join me that is…”

“I would.”

Sojiro swallowed. This was it. His first evening alone with a woman in nearly three years. And with a woman nearly twenty years his junior! He could scarcely “-ster Sakura?””scarcely believe his, “Mr. Sakura?”

“ You wouldn’t mind if we left together, would you?”

“Not at all. On one condition.”

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

Kawakami flushed and looked away. “This is so embarrassing, but… would you mind… holding my hand?”

Sojiro paused, then nodded his head. “I would be honored, Miss Kawakami.”

“And one more thing?”

“Yes?”

“Please… call me Sadayo.”

“Very well. But only if you’ll call me Sojiro.”

* * *

 The train was a very long ten minutes. It was even more crowded than usual, with the usual scents of subway trains being mixed with the scents of fried chicken and freshly baked cakes. Sojiro and Sadayo were pressed directly into one another, their bodies separated only by the Suntory bottle that Sojiro had on his person. Sojiro, for all of his efforts, couldn’t help but press the edges of his beard directly onto Sadayo’s nose. Her face scrunched up as if she were holding back a sneeze. Sojiro had the good manners to appear embarrassed.

“I’m sorry… Sadayo. I haven't been able to maintain it like I usually do.”

Sadayo sneezed, then let out a giggle that alarmed the butterflies in Sojiro’s stomach. “It’s quite alright,” she said. “I don’t mind.” What she didn’t think to add wass that she secretly felt delighted. She glanced down at the Suntory bottle Sojiro held between them. If nothing else, she was excited to share some exquisite whisky with someone else tonight. Good alcohol alone is handily trumped by good alcohol shared.

Suddenly, the train pulled forward with a violent lurch, sending Sojiro tumbling forward. He saved the whisky ( _Thank God!_ Thought Sadayo), but landed at an odd angle on his shoulder.

“We apologize for the sudden stop, ladies and gentlemen,” announced the speaker. “We are encountering a little trouble on the tracks, and hope to continue momentarily.”

“Ohmigod, Sojiro! Are you all right?” Exclaimed Sadayo. The teacher helped him up as he pressed his shoulder.

“I’m fine. But I definitely hurt some…” He flinched as he pressed his hand to his shoulder. “I think I just hurt my shoulder a little bit.”

Sadayo felt his shoulder. “Well, Geez, you’re knotted like a pretzel. When we get back to your place, I’ll help you. I’m pretty good with my hands.”

Sojiro glanced at her cockeyed. “Are we already at that point in the relationship? I’m a three-dates kinda guy at least.”

Sadayo rolled her eyes. “It’s not like that. Just… let’s wait until we get there.”

A young couple kindly made space for Sojiro and Sadayo, allowing them to sit for the duration of their ride. Sadayo found herself patting Sojiro’s back more often than was probably necessary.

 _I have to say_ , she thought to herself, _he’s kept himself in pretty good shape, too_. Despite herself, she found herself wearing a slight smile for the rest of their ride.

* * *

 

Sojiro’s house was far more, well, homey, then she imagined. “What were you expecting?” Asked the coffeemaker as she opened the door to his home. Sadayo stepped in and scanned her surroundings, Sojiro’s arm slung around her shoulder.

“Oh, I don’t know, just something more fitting a bachelor. The house alone looks nice.” When she entered, she was impressed with how cozy it appeared. The furniture was simple but comfortable. She laid Sojiro down on a couch, placing a pillow to rest his head on while she left for the kitchen to place the Suntory in the fridge. As she came back, she glanced around the house a bit more, finding no discernible signs of untidiness. “I definitely pictured more unwashed clothes, more unopened Cup Noodles and bottles of whisky, more…” Her gaze fixed on his record player. A turntable with red leather and a clear case. Inside, it held a black vinyl record with an artist name and title written in English. A language that she happened to speak quite well.

“Billie Holiday? I figured your tastes would be old-fashioned, but good lord…”

Sojiro’s face turned slightly red. “There’s a reason the classics remain classics,” he said, a bit more defensively than he liked. Sadayo giggled and waved her hand at him.

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I was a bit out of line myself.” She suddenly felt a bit guilty. “Say, why don’t we pop that record on and start enjoying ourselves? I believe I owed you a massage.”

Sojiro laughed. “That’s something I can agree with.”

Sadayo placed the needle on the record and sat on the couch while music poured forth from the speakers. She knelt down and pressed her hands onto Sojiro’s back, eliciting a groan from the middle-aged man. She pulled back reflexively.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” said Sojiro with a smile. “It just surprised me. Just be a bit more gentle.”

She nodded her head, determined that her skills as a maid wouldn’t go wasted. She pressed her hands down and felt the contours of Sojiro’s back. Every line she drew along his back, every muscle she pressed felt like it was twisted like a series of pretzel stems. Sadayo couldn’t help but voice her concern.

“Geez, Mr. Sakura. You’re twisted like crazy. What do you do all day?”

“Take care of the shop, make curry, drink, smoke, all the good stuff.”

“No, I mean like everyday life.”

“That is everyday life for me!”

She sighed. “You and Ren are far too alike. I told him the same thing when I worked as a maid, and he was just as stubborn.”

“You worked as a maid? And Ren called you?”

Sadayo found herself wishing she bit her tongue. She stopped pressing on Sojiro’s back.

“That’s… er… It wasn’t like…”

Sojiro laughed. “It’s all right. He told me everything. And don’t you think I read the phone bills? I knew it wasn’t me who was calling a maid service.”

She sighed and went back to giving him a massage.

“It wasn’t something I’m proud of. But in a way, I’m glad I took it. It let me appreciate people’s kindness more.”

Sojiro said nothing, but nodded in assent. He could scarcely believe that the boy he took in as a delinquent was now happily taking his daughter out for Christmas Eve. And that he was, in many ways, wiser than the two adults he helped. The two adults who, until a few minutes ago, we’re going to spend Christmas alone.

“I think I’m good now.”

Sadayo pulled her hands back. “Well, What now?”

“Now? I think it’s time to break out the whisky.”

* * *

 They clinked their glasses and downed their drinks dutifully. They sat in silence, no sound around them beyond the record player in the background. Billie Holiday was crooning on “Am I Blue.” Suddenly, Sadayo thought, bluesy, 1930s music about lost loves didn’t scream Christmastime to her.

“Geez, you could light an Olympic flame with the torch she’s carrying!” Sadayo said with a laugh. Sojiro laughed softly as well, but said nothing. He merely poured himself and Sadayo another set of drinks in their tumblers. With another drink downed, Sojiro took it upon himself to break the silence this time.

“Who was the last person you had Christmas Eve with?”

“Oh, just my dick of a fiancé.”

“Is there a story there?”

“Not much. I thought I loved him until he told me he wanted me to be a stay-at-home wife. I told him I wanted to help kids. The more time I spent at school though, the more he thought I should stay at home and, well…” She took a swig of whisky. “Eh, fuck him. He was an accountant. You own a coffeeshop. I like you more by default.” She smiled in a way that was absolutely bewitching. Sojiro, despite himself, was blushing.

“What about your end? Who was the lucky gal for your Christmas?”

“Futaba. It was the one of the few times of the year she would come down from her room. We would spend the whole night drinking hot chocolate and watching black-and-white movies on TV. I… it meant something that I wouldn’t have to worry about her for a little while.” Sojiro sighed. “Of course, now she’s outgrown her old man and is out with her boyfriend…”

“Awww… let her have fun! You know, I have to say, I wasn’t planning on having a fun Christmas Eve myself. But wouldn’t you know it…” Sadayo traced her fingers up Sojiro’s arm. “I happened to find this really handsome guy who was also planning on having a Christmas Eve by himself. And I learned that he’s also sweet, charming, and a little old-fashioned.”

Sojiro placed his arm around Sadayo’s shoulder, a move she appreciated. “Well, wouldn’t you know it: I met this very beautiful young woman in the liquor store. She was dedicated, caring, and funny. And…” He locked eyes with her. Her eyes, deep and brown, were boring right through him. Sojiro saw her second hand come onto his leg. “And… um… this isn’t just the liquor talking, is it?”

Sadayo laughed. “Please! You think I’d get drunk after one glass? In college, I was a champ! No, this…” She straddled him. “This is something I want. And I hope you do t…”

She was interrupted with a kiss from Sojiro. _Mmmm…_ she thought. _Tastes like coffee beans._

* * *

 Sojiro awoke the next morning, seeing a number of texts his phone. _Goddammit!_ He realized. _I never heard back from Futaba!_ He opened his phone, frantically checking his texts.

_Dad, we're coming home!_

_Dad, where are you? I've been trying to call you!_

_Sorry, Dad! BF and me are using LeBlanc for ourselves. Please don’t be mad! We’ll meet up with you for breakfast. Xoxo \\(^-^)/_

“That girl…” Sojiro muttered to himself. He felt a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re not seriously going to scold her for something like that, are you?”

Sojiro turned his head. In the morning daylight, with her unkempt hair and the sheet wrapped around her body, Sadayo looked even more beautiful than he realized. She laughed, but then awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

“Uh… listen… I should probably just go. It would be awkward if…”

“Well, we have a traditional Christmas Day breakfast.” Sojiro stood up and stretched. “I would be remiss if I didn’t make you something as well.”  
Sadayo initially looked surprised, but soon found a warmth in her heart. It gave her a contentment she didn’t realize she hadn’t felt in some time.

“That would be lovely.”

She stood up and placed another kiss on Sojiro’s lips. They backed away from each other.

“It’s still going to be awkward to explain this to those kids.”

“Oh, boy… Don’t I know it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo, boy... Sojiro is my favorite character in Persona 5, and Kawakami is one of my favs. If nothing else, I hope I did right by them.


End file.
